//------------------------------// // Close Encounters Of The Bratty Kind // Story: Second Hand Source // by Razalon The Lizardman //------------------------------// The Ponyville schoolhouse’s playground is playing host to Cheerilee’s class as they wait for her to fetch them for class. Mitaru leans against a tree near the back of the school — out of everypony’s sight — peering around the trunk every minute. Waiting. The sounds of every foal merrily playing keeps a genuine smile plastered on his face, but the thought of maybe jumping out and scaring them all with his alien appearance stretches it a little more. Wonder what Diamond’s thoughts on reptiles are? Guess I won’t know until she gets here. He scrunches his face in thought. Did she ever properly meet Spike? Probably not, but— ah, there she is! Diamond Tiara enters through the front gate along with Silver Spoon. They never stop as they walk across the playground, ignoring all the other foals as they approach the tree he’s hiding behind. He can see their faces set into deadpans, not that he expected a different reaction from them after reading his note. Mitaru steps out from behind the tree once the fillies are close enough to his liking, giving them both a grin he hopes doesn’t come across the wrong way. “Hello girls, nice to meet you,” he says. The fillies stop to stare at him for a moment, eyes wide with surprise. Mitaru can't help but commend them for not running away screaming. He'd mentioned in his note to Diamond that he might look a little scary to them, but he hadn't expected them to be so calm in response to seeing him. A good sign, if anything. Eventually, Diamond’s deadpan returns. “No offense, mister, but you’re probably the most ugly thing this side of Canterlot,” she says. Her tone is less snarky and condescending than it usually is, but fits well in line with her general attitude regardless. Silver Spoon manages to reign in her surprise and nod in agreement. Mitaru shrugs his shoulders in response, completely unfazed by the comment. “I’m actually quite handsome by my species’ standards,” he replies coolly. “I can change my appearance, however, but only over a certain length of time.” Diamond’s eyes widen in shock. “Wait, are you one of those changeling creeps that invaded Canterlot?” she asks. “Miss Twilight said those things could copy the appearance of anypony, and that they drain emotions for food.” Mitaru lets out a hearty laugh as he kneels down to their eye level, resting an arm on his knee and the other on the ground. “No, no, I’m not a changeling, and I don’t drain emotions for food. I can only change my appearance over a half hour’s worth of time, whereas changelings can change instantly.” “That is so lame,” Silver says. “You’re telling me,” Diamond replies. “Anyway,” Mitaru says, still unfazed by their comments, “I’m sure you’re both wondering why I gave you that note asking you to meet me here.” When they nod ‘yes’ he retrieves his notebook and pen from his backpack, clicking the pen and bringing it to a blank sheet of paper. “I want you to tell me the story of how you two first met.” There’s a long silence as the two fillies stare blankly at him, wordless and unmoving. Mitaru waits patiently for them to respond, but knowing the school bell could ring at any second tempts him to hurry them up a few times. Eventually, Diamond furrows her eyebrows and asks, “Why do you care?” “I’m a foreign journalist seeking stories about Equestria’s populace, and Princess Luna recommended you to me last night.” Mitaru smiles a bit at the surprised look Diamond gives in response, which is followed by a wistful expression that he assumes is her reminiscing about her encounters with the night princess. “Wait, you met Princess Luna?” Silver asks, tilting her head. “I thought she only visited ponies’ dreams.” “I don’t see why that’d be the case,” Mitaru replies with a shrug. “Although, I did bait her into entering my dream so I could talk with her, and my efforts paid off big time, because now I know about the time she first met Diamond.” The pink filly’s cheeks turn crimson almost instantly. “Y-You do?” she stutters. “Mhmm.” Mitaru nods his head. “And now I’d like to know how you two first met each other. If you’re willing to say, that is.” Diamond and Silver give concerned looks to each other before excusing themselves to talk in private. When they return a minute later, Mitaru is surprised to see what look like genuine, kind-hearted smiles stretched across their muzzles. The sight almost makes him call blasphemy, but he holds his tongue. “After a lengthy discussion on our part,” Diamond begins, and Mitaru holds back a chuckle at her attempt to sound business-like, “we’ve determined that you, Mister…?” “Mitaru. Mitaru Hoteha.” “We’ve determined that you, Mr. Mitaru Hoteha, are cool enough for us to share the story of how we first met.” “Excellent!” He pushes the pen down on the paper. “Now, let’s start from the beginn—” “MONSTER!” The three glance at the playground to see a filly pointing in their direction, eyes wide with fear. It doesn’t take long before the rest of the foals follow her gaze and repeat suite. Soon, the playground is a chaotic maelstrom of panicked foals. Their screams are loud enough that everypony in Ponyville can no doubt hear them. Eventually the foals all rush en masse into the schoolhouse, leaving the playground barren with naught but a few scattered lunchboxes as proof that anypony was previously there. “Lame-os,” Diamond says, derisively. “So true,” Silver deadpans. “Perhaps,” Mitaru says. He looks back down to the fillies, his face furrowed slightly with worry. “Trouble’s gonna be here pretty soon, so we’d best hurry this up.” The fillies return his gaze, smiling again. “Sure thing, Mitaru,” Silver says, cheerily. Diamond takes a moment to adjust her tiara before starting. “Alright, here’s how it all went down…” As Mitaru transcribes both fillies’ accounts of the time they first became friends, he watches from his eye’s corner as Miss Cheerilee exits the schoolhouse, takes one look in their direction before running off towards Ponyville, undoubtedly intending to fetch Princess Twilight. Meanwhile, he can see the foals looking through the schoolhouse windows, their faces masks of fear for the most part, while a few seem to be more curious of him than terrified. One would think that ponies should learn to not panic upon sight of an unknown creature by this point in time. Even here it seems parents don’t know how to properly raise their children, and the fact that the brattiest foals here are the only ones that gave me a chance to explain myself is disgraceful At last, Diamond and Silver finish their recollection, just in time for Miss Cheerilee to return with Twilight and her friends, all looking at him with looks ranging from concern to fear to rage. Mitaru appreciates that they’re remaining calm, at the very least. “Well, that’s about all I need,” he says, adding one last period to his writing before snapping his notebook shut. “Thanks for your time and cooperation, girls.” He flashes them his most winning smile. “I guarantee my friends back home will love reading about this.” “You mean we’ll be famous?” Silver asks, hope entering her voice. “That goes without saying.” Both fillies’ eyes light up at that. They proceed to do a ‘bump, bump, sugarlump, rump’ routine before turning back toward the schoolhouse. “C’mon, Silver, let’s go brag to everypony!” Diamond says. “Yes, let’s,” Silver replies. Mitaru watches them head off, passing by the former Element Bearers on their way. The mares give the fillies a few curious looks, but don’t make any inquires about what just happened. Twilight likely explained to her friends that he means no harm to anypony, but the none-too-friendly stares they give him as they approach make it clear she didn’t speak very highly of him either. “Mitaru,” Twilight says once they approach. “Princess Twilight,” Mitaru replies, nodding. Rainbow flies over so her face is just inches from his own, glaring daggers at him. Mitaru makes no reaction whatsoever. “You’d better not try any funny business, mister,” she seethes. Mitaru holds a hand to his mouth, letting loose a brief chuckle before replying. “Ah, still as confrontational as ever, I see. It’s always good to know there’s some ponies in this town who don’t still run and scream at the sight of anything unusual.” “Frankly, I wouldn’t blame anypony for doing such,” Rarity says, giving him an appraising look, visibly cringing as she does so. “You are rather intimidating, and I say that as a firm believer of being ‘innocent until proven guilty’.” “We all learned that the hard way,” Applejack says, lowering her hat a bit so it partially obscures her eyes. “Y’see, there was this zebra that—” “I’m already familiar with Zecora and how you ponies treated her initially,” Mitaru interrupts, earning him looks of surprise from Twilight’s friends, and a half-lidded gaze from the alicorn herself. She wants to interrogate me about why I know so much about Equestria, for sure. “Um, Mister Mitaru, sir?” He turns to Fluttershy, who — oh so adorably — squeaks and hides a little behind her mane in response. Despite lacking actual eyebrows, Mitaru lifts the muscle above one eye in the appropriate manner, showing his bemusement at her shyness. The yellow pegasus smiles sheepishly before returning his gaze and continuing. “Um, well, we talked a lot and… thought you might like to come back to the castle?” She gestures to a distant hillside where the top of Friendship Castle can be seen peeking over. The corners of Mitaru’s mouth begin to turn up in a smile, only to drop along with his ‘eyebrows’, as he turns to the six mares, narrowing his eyes at them in suspicion. “What for?” he asks. “We just want to know a little more about you,” Twilight replies. Her lips turn up in a little half smirk. “You know, just like what you wanted.” “And then after that I can throw your obligatory ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party!” Pinkie exclaims, bouncing a little. “Gonna have to skimp out on the cupcakes after last week’s party, though,” she adds, a little dejected. Mitaru rubs his chin in thought for a moment before the metaphorical lightbulb goes ding, to which he smiles and clasps his hands together. “Very well.” He stands up. “Lead the way, ladies.”